DoodlePi is a DIY pixel-art drawing toy inspired by Etch A Sketch. Its documented builds use a Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico W, a 128×64 SH1106 OLED, and six buttons. Choose V1 for a breadboard or perfboard prototype; choose V2 for a custom PCB layout with a rechargeable-battery circuit. Neither version is a finished, off-the-shelf product, and the project documentation does not establish total cost or battery runtime.
What DoodlePi does
DoodlePi turns six physical buttons into a simple monochrome drawing interface on a small OLED. Four buttons move the drawing cursor, one toggles the pen up or down, and another clears the drawing. The project’s author describes it as a DIY pixel-art gadget inspired by Etch A Sketch.
The project has two documented revisions. V1 is a breadboard/perfboard prototype; V2 moves the circuit to a custom PCB and adds components for battery-powered use. The versions share the Pico-class microcontroller, display type, and six-button control scheme, but their assembly and power arrangements differ.
Choose V1 or V2
| Feature | V1 | V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly | Breadboard wiring, with perfboard as an optional alternative | Custom DoodlePi PCB with components soldered in place |
| Core hardware | Pico W listed in the parts list; 1.3-inch, 128×64 SH1106 I2C OLED; six generic push buttons | Pico or Pico W; 1.3-inch, 128×64 SH1106 OLED; six 6×6×5 mm momentary push buttons |
| Power approach | USB-connected prototype; the listed cable is Micro-B USB | Li-ion battery and TP4056 charging module, with a slide switch and JST connector |
| Additional sourcing | Jumper wires and breadboard, or optional perfboard | Custom PCB, 2 mm-pitch JST connector, 3-pin 2.54 mm-pitch slide switch, and 1000 mAh Li-ion battery |
| Runtime and total build cost | Not stated in the project documentation | Not stated in the project documentation |
V1 is the simpler starting point if you want to wire and try the controls without assembling a custom board. V2 is the more integrated route if you want the specified charging and battery components. The project pages do not independently verify battery runtime, module equivalence, or compatibility across all component variants, so match parts to the instructions for the revision you choose.
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Parts for each build
V1: breadboard or perfboard prototype
- Raspberry Pi Pico W, as specified in the V1 parts list
- 1.3-inch SH1106 monochrome OLED with 128×64 resolution and I2C
- Six generic push buttons
- Jumper wires and a breadboard; perfboard is an alternative
- Micro-B USB cable
- Soldering iron if you opt to mount the circuit on perfboard
V2: custom PCB and battery components
- Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico W
- 1.3-inch SH1106 128×64 OLED
- DoodlePi custom PCB
- Six 6×6×5 mm momentary push buttons
- 2 mm-pitch JST connector
- TP4056 charging module; the author prefers a Type-C version and calls out battery protection in the Arduino Project Hub parts list
- 3-pin, 2.54 mm-pitch slide switch
- 1000 mAh Li-ion battery
- Soldering iron and solder
Pay attention to the display controller and resolution rather than buying an OLED based only on its diagonal size. For V2, also check that the charging module’s battery-protection feature and the battery connector match the project’s specified components. The instructions name a JST connector but do not establish that every JST variant is interchangeable.
Build and wire V1
V1 can be wired on a breadboard; mounting the buttons and components on perfboard is optional. Its documented OLED connections are:
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- OLED VCC to Pico VSYS
- OLED GND to Pico GND
- OLED SDA to Pico GP4
- OLED SCL to Pico GP5
Connect the six buttons as four directional controls, a pen toggle, and a clear control, following the V1 project’s wiring directions. Because the parts list and wiring instructions describe a prototype, check the pin assignments and your particular board before applying power rather than assuming an unlisted module has the same layout.
Assemble V2
The V2 guide describes soldering the Pico, charging module, slide switch, JST connector, buttons, and OLED to the custom PCB. Follow the V2 board layout and its component orientation instructions for the exact assembly; the parts list alone is not a substitute for the PCB-specific placement guidance. V2 adds battery and charging hardware, but the project documentation does not provide a verified runtime figure or independent safety testing.
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Install and upload the firmware
The documented firmware is uploaded over USB with Arduino IDE. The code uses Wire.h, Adafruit_GFX.h, and Adafruit_SH110X.h, and configures a 128×64 SH1106 display at I2C address 0x3C.
- Install the Earle Philhower Raspberry Pi Pico core in Arduino IDE, as directed by the V2 guide.
- Install the Adafruit GFX and Adafruit SH110X libraries.
- Open the code for the revision you built: V1 is labeled 1.0.0; V2 is labeled 2.0.0.
- Connect the Pico by USB, select the matching board and port in Arduino IDE, then upload the sketch.
- If the display does not initialize, check the I2C address. The guide gives
0x3Cas the default and instructs builders to check the address for their display.
The V1 code lists August 15, 2025 as its last-modified date, while the V2 code lists November 11, 2025. Those are firmware-file dates, not a promise that every third-party module or later Arduino IDE release has been tested with the build.
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What is documented—and what is not
Ameya Angadi’s Arduino Project Hub tutorials and corresponding Hackster.io guides document the intended parts, firmware, and assembly approach. The V1 Arduino Project Hub page is dated November 4, 2025. The V2 Arduino Project Hub page is dated February 27, 2026, while Hackster’s V2 guide is dated January 5, 2026; the different dates refer to separate pages.
The pages describe V2 as the move from a breadboard V1 to a custom PCB with rechargeable-battery components. The author also says optimized firmware for Pong, Tetris, and Space Invaders is planned; those games should not be treated as shipped DoodlePi functionality on the basis of that statement.
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There is no established total build price, measured battery runtime, or independent compatibility validation in the project documentation. Treat the guides as the author’s build instructions, verify the specific components you source, and use the directions for the matching revision.
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